Back in 2015, Chopard launched a new brand, named after one of the most important figures in the evolution of precision timekeeping: the Swiss chronometer master Ferdinand Berthoud. Today, this high-end label has added yet another stunning piece to its already impressive collection, the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1R.6-1. This watch could be easily considered a true connoisseur’s piece, blending a marvelous tourbillon/fusée-chain movement with the original regulator-type display and an ultra-resistant carburized stainless steel case. Based on previous versions of the Chronomètre FB 1, the new Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1R.6-1 is an ode to its makers, with several complications inspired by scientific instruments and marine chronometers to improve precision. But this watch also makes a powerful visual statement, with its stunning tourbillon opening on the dial side, while the minimalist dial balances everything out.

A few years ago Van Cleef & Arpels has decided to put the entire planetarium on our wrists, and that’s how the Midnight Planétarium watch has been born. With an extraordinary design and a unique complication, that watch was a massive hit, even though it came with a staggering price-tag, that’s why the renowned French brand has decided to add a fresh twist to its iconic creation. Meet the Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planétarium. This new iteration is basically an original women’s edition that illustrates the Sun and the closest planets – Mercury, Venus and finally Earth, along with its natural satellite, the Moon, in a spectacular way.

Rolex is a name synonymous with luxury watches. The prices associated with some of these coveted pieces of watchmaking genius and artful material design can often be mind numbing. For instance, in Oct, 2017, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona was auctioned for $17,752,500. And, it’s almost certain that this record will find adequate competition and might even be toppled up, potentially by another Rolex. So what makes Rolex watches so special? Here is looking into some of the possible reasons.

Rush is a masterful collection of watches designed by legendary mixed martial artist Georges St. Pierre (GSP) and Ilan Srulovicz, of the Egard Watch to honor a legacy as a lifetime martial artist and world champion MMA fighter. These watches are being released in two different iterations – with different movements and subtle design changes – to cater to different budgets so you’re sure to find one that fits in with yours during their Kickstarter campaign.The Egard Watch Co x Georges St. Pierre Watch comes in either a quartz or automatic movement option and regardless of which you opt for, this luxurious timepiece is the ideal daily reminder of strength and precision in and out of the ring. As one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, this exemplary offering is a really fitting tribute to all that he accomplished throughout his career and the look and feel of this watch positively exudes quality and uncompromising performance.

Combining calligraphy with the art of high-end watchmaking, Anura Rafael Write Time is one of the most incredible watches, because it’s both a tourbillon timepiece and a fountain pen, mixed into one breathtaking package. This is Anura Rafael’s first wristwatch, that’s why it probably had to stand out of a crowd, combining a linear movement with a tourbillon in a removable module in the most beautiful way possible. The name of this watch, Write Time, seems appropriate as well, with a cylindrical module made out of sapphire crystal, pink gold, and partially wrapped in alligator leather blending the best of two worlds. The case measures 42 mm, while the capsule is locked in place in the receptacle by means of a rotating ring. Time can be told thanks to three discs that are housed under the large sapphire crystal, with all the numerals on the discs being hand-engraved and painted. On a technical level, a hand-wound movement called Calibre ARS001/T keeps everything ticking thanks to exactly 472 parts, an impressive mechanism which took Rafael two years to develop and comes with a 48-hour power reserve. As you can see from these photos, the wonderful tourbillon is visible at one end of the case, under the large sapphire crystal, but you’re probably more captivated by the incredible transformation from a watch into a fountain pen. The pen itself is also made out of pink gold and presents itself in the same alligator leather used to make the strap of the watch. Available with either a piston filler or cartridge, the pen may also display the nib in different sizes. This innovative timepiece is entirely Swiss-made by artisans in the Jura mountain region, and if you totally like what you see right now, you should know the Anura Rafael Write Time will be made to order and starts off at 245,000 CHF.

If you’re familiar with Ressence, certain aspects of the Type 1H may look familiar to you. For anyone new to the brand, instead of displaying time using static scales (like most wristwatches you see), Ressence watches use a unique orbital display that utilizes a planetary gear train called the ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System). Designed and developed in-house, the system is composed of nested discs and rings that move in concert, creating a different dial with every passing moment. We decided to take the innovative Ressence display a step further, sandblasting and skeletonizing the convex German silver dial discs to reveal the mechanics within the watch. The edges of the discs have been sharply beveled, adding a touch of shine to outline the openings. The markings and “hands” are milled and filled with a dark grey SuperLuminova that glows bright green in the dark. The stunning effect of watching the mechanics manipulate the display isn’t the only special aspect of this timepiece. This is the first time that the Type 1 has been offered in stainless steel, and the case shape itself has been rethought too. It is now 41.5mm in diameter and 12mm thick, so it balances nicely on the wrist while still having great presence. The wire lugs of the Type 1 have been replaced with arched lugs that have the tiniest bevel at the edge, adding some additional dynamism to the case. You’ll notice there is no crown at all on the Type 1H, but you simply turn the caseback to set and wind the watch (though it is self-winding). You’ll be surprised at how quickly you become used to reading the unusual display too – it’s much more intuitive than you might expect. The Type 1H combines a futuristic display with classic old-school finishing and attention to detail, making this watch incredibly wearable.

Take a look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newest creation, a ravishing timepiece called Hybris Artistica Mystérieuse. Set to adorn only 5 lucky wrists, this eye catching watch is just another example that the virtuosity and artistry of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rare Handcrafts (Métiers Rares) knows no boundaries, as you can easily see. The watchmaker’s incredible Hybris Artistica collection seeks to combine mechanical excellence with artistic inventiveness, with this watch boasting an orbital flying tourbillon, that’s considered one of the most prestigious complications. Of course, you can’t ignore the original design and the exceptional decorations either, and please note that the mother-of-pearl applied on the dial is not the only skeletonised element at this watch, the rotor also benefiting from the same treatment. Showing off an amazing 18kt rose gold 42 mm case, that’s also skeletonised and features Aventurine on its lugs, this watch comes with double sapphire crystals and it’s apparently able to handle 50-meter deep waters. Movement is provided by the Swiss automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 941, meaning 49 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve worth about 50 hours. Finishing everything off is a black leather strap, with an 18kt rose gold skeletonised folding clasp. Price tag is unknown at the moment.

Called Vacheron Constantin Métiers D’Art Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac Year Of The Rooster this spectacular watch was specially designed for Chinese fans of the finest Swiss-made watches. To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Vacheron Constantin has introduced two new Chinese-inspired watches part of a limited-edition series that’s meant to seduce us all. Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art collection is a working piece of art, benefiting from extremely complicated craft techniques, such as gem-setting, enameling, engraving, painting, and more. These new watches are actually inspired by last year’s Métiers d’Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Monkey watch, obviously featuring a rooster instead of the money, with a 40 mm platinum or 18K 5N pink gold case, that’s able to handle 30-meter deep waters. The dial comes with motifs of flowers, featuring an ancient Chinese paper-cutting style called jiǎnzhǐ (剪纸) in Mandarin. The flowers were etched directly into the metal and made to look 3D, as if they were floating right above the dial and under the sapphire crystal glass. The base of the dial is Grand Feu enamel, while at the center of the dial you will notice a rooster made out of either platinum or gold, matching the case material. Vacheron Constantin’s 237-component automatic caliber 2460 G4 makes everything keep ticking, backed up by a 40-hour power reserve and the Hallmark of Geneva. There’s also a 22k gold rotor, decorated with guilloche, and the fact that this watch will be limited to only 24 pieces – 12 in platinum and another 12 in 18K 5N pink gold – each of them priced at US$100,500, makes this timepiece even more incredible.

Today we want to show you the Swiss-made anti-Apple Watch. It’s called the Swiss Alp Watch, and it comes from high-end independent watchmaker H. Moser. The first thing you’ll notice about the Swiss Alp Watch is that it, well, looks exactly like the Apple Watch.You’ve got that beautiful, rounded, rectangular-shaped case that oozes the great Jony Ive-led Apple Design team. But instead of a touch screen with any number of apps, you have a gorgeous grey fume dial, something for which Moser is well known among watch aficionados. The lugs, which look just like the wire lugs found on the higher end Apple Watches, actually use a spring bar, but the effect is there. Inside, you have an in-house H. Moser caliber that features a power reserve indicator and Straumann hairspring. But you know what, it almost doesn’t matter that it’s inside – suffice it to say it’s a wonderful, high-end, mostly hand-finished, all hand-assembled, completely Swiss-made movement that tells you nothing but the time and will likely last multiple generations. Essentially, what Swiss watchmaking is all about. The Moser Swiss Alp Watch looks and feels just like the Apple Watch on the wrist, and in fact is the same size as the 38 mm variation. It is white gold, so the weight is considerably more, but the feel is very much the same. Only 50 pieces will be made, all in white gold, and at a price of $24,900 – only a little bit more than the all-rose-gold Apple Watch Edition.

Roger Dubuis has introduced the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument. Roger Dubuis has decided to claim a piece of the action, and has taken the insane calibre RD101 found inside the Excalibur Quatuor 16Hz wristwatch, flipped it 90 degrees counterclockwise and re-cased it inside an enormous titanium pocket watch. The result is a symmetrical dial, with the dual power reserve sitting squarely at 6 o’clock, surrounded by four sprung balances in each corner of the watch. The balance they provide, mechanically and aesthetically, is very easy on the eye. Of course, the Pocket Time Instrument is much larger than the original wristwatch, although it is still surprisingly light thanks to its titanium construction. Even the chain is made from this lightweight material. The pocket watch features hours and minutes and a power-reserve indicator. One of only few totally integrated manufactures, Roger Dubuis has built and decorated all the 590 components of the in-house calibre RD101 by hand. The hand-wound movement provides the watch with 40 hours of power reserve when fully wound. This technical feat, highly representative of the brand’s modernist tendencies, is in contrast with the theatrical Roman numerals, and breaks all archetypes surrounding the pocket watch. The Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument is limited to just 28 pieces worldwide and is priced at $468,500.

This year at Baselworld, Girard-Perregaux debuted The Chamber of Wonders which consists of three artistic models within the 1966 collection. The three dials are distinguished by three historic maps: The Pearl of Wonders , The Terrestrial Map and The New World “Novus Orbis .” Each version is limited to 18 pieces and comes in a 40 mm pink gold case, powered by GP caliber 3300 automatic movement. The New World “Novus Orbis” is pictured in this post (Ref. 49534-52-R06-BB60), and its dial design is based on the work of Sebastian Münster (1488-1552). According to Girard-Perregaux the Novus Orbis is, ‘The most colorful of the maps contained in La Chambre des Merveilles, it displays creative fields populated with fragments organized into a mosaic. It is made with genuine stone marquetry, blending the tones of blue and pink aventurine, calcite and Canadian nephrite. It takes about 95 hours to make a single dial. The finely selected stones are carved into mini-disks which, at the end of a manual polishing operation, reach 0.50 mm. The cutting and assembly of these micro-stones require extraordinary meticulousness, patience and artistry. The technique gives the impression that the land on the map floats, reinforced by the artist’s micro-painting in six different tones.”

The Cartier Crash Watch is popular for the story of its evolution. The first crash watch was introduced in 1957, in London. It’s design, inspired from a Cartier watch that was damaged in a car crash. Cartier Crash watches have been produced before in different styles, but the one launched this year is the most advanced of them all – the Cartier Crash Skeleton. The entire movement is redesigned and restructured, to be shown as ‘art in motion’, in the dial. Naturally, the shape of the watch caused a number of production complications. First, the case was very difficult to machine because of the unique curvature, compounded by the fact that it is platinum. Second, mineral crystals were used front and back, presumably because Cartier found it impossible or cost prohibitive to manufacture sapphire crystals with both vertical and horizontal curves. Lastly, the movement was of course extremely challenging to develop and manufacture because it had to fit within the uncommon shape of the asymmetrical case. The case is platinum, as is the crown, set with a blue sapphire cabochon . The main plate and bridges are in rhodium-plated German silver, with chamfered and polished edges. The hand wound movement beats at 4Hz and has a three day power reserve, thanks to twin barrels. The Cartier Crash Skeleton is paired with a gray alligator leather strap and white gold folding clasp. There will be 67 pieces made in platinum, and 67 in diamond-set platinum. The price tag is $82,500.

This year 32 nations coming together in Brazil to see who would be crowned world champions and lift the 20th FIFA World Cup and the whole world’s attention is focused on the football-crazy South American nation. The festivities have just begun and will continue till the mid way of the next month and brands from across the globe are using the opportunity to launch special edition Brazil-centric products. Here we’ve gathered three limited edition timepieces paying tribute to Brazil and FIFA World Cup 2014. Take a look!

Swiss luxury watch manufacture Ulysse Nardin unveils Jazz Minute Repeater, a brand new complication timepiece uniting traditional watch making with the fine art of hand-engraved Jaquemarts. Inspired from JAZZ, the iconic music genre brought to life by African American’s in the early 1900s, this timepiece from Ulysse Nardin boasts an artist applied 18 carat gold “musicians” on a genuine black onyx dial depicting the performance of a music band on stage. When the minute repeater lever is activated, the hours, quarters and minutes, or a combination of these units, chime, and the band begins its show, playing along with the time. The workmanship of the Jaquemarts or animated figures that move in sync with the activated minute repeater is a rare art which requires exceptional talent and known how. The highly precious platinum case measuring 42 mm diameter houses the manual winding movement UN-74 which powers this complication timepiece. The Jazz Minute Repeater will be produced in a limited-edition of 18 pieces in platinum.

The year of the horse will start from February 2014, replacing the actual snake sign. And the famous Swiss watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin celebrates the Chinese Zodiac with its new masterpiece. This marvelous extension of the renowned Métiers d’Art collection comes in two versions, either made of pink gold or platinum, each of which is limited to just 12 pieces. The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac is an exclusive line of artistic watches, based on the 12-year cycle. They showcase the leaf motif, characteristic for classic Chinese iconography, which is directly engraved on a gold dial. By subtle stage-setting of numerous reliefs applied to the golden base, the brand’s engravers created a great depth effect, while threads which represent bamboo stalks look like floating over the surface. The most impressive work is visible on the horse figure, with the every single detail executed to the perfection.

Romain Jerome’s “DNA” watches have been inspired by fascinating events and achievements from human history, regardless of whether they happened on land, at sea or in the skies. For the new “Tattoo-DNA” collection they spiced up this idea with a unique collaboration, as the brand worked together with Mo Coppoletta, founder of world-famous London-based tattoo studio The Family Business. The Tattoo-DNA collection will consist of four models, each issued in a limited series of only 25-pieces. All of them will be dressed in typical Romain Jerome fashion. That means a 50mm stainless steel case with four “paws” and a black PVD-coated, oxidized bezel that provides a rugged, ‘used’ look to the watch. Of the 100 watches in total, 50 will have black PVD-coating on the four “paws”, the crown and the lugs and these will come on a black fabric strap. The other fifty will have more bare stainless steel elements and a skin-colored leather strap, tattooed by the artist himself. The movement inside is the self-winding RJ001-A (basically an ETA 7750 with no chronograph or date function), beating at 28,800 with 42 hours of power reserve.

Jaquet Droz is known for their rich history of creating automata. This time they amaze us with their newest creation, the Bird Repeater. A combination of a minute repeater and an automata of birds feeding three chicks, of which one comes out of an egg, while the water of the stream flows in a continuous cascade. The dial is totally done by hand and is incredibly well-detailed. The base dial is mother of pearl, which is hand-engraved and painted. The waterfall done on a rotating disc which spins to create the illusion of falling water. The birds and nest are also hand-engraved and painted individually. The animation sequence has an impressive level of action with wings opening, eggs hatching, and chicks being fed. Just 16 pieces will be made, 8 in 18-karat gold and 8 items with diamonds. The price will be close to half a million Swiss francs.

Take a look at another great luxury limited edition watch by Romain Jerome dedicated to the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car featuring the iconic gull-wing doors and rear-engine. In 1985 Steven Spielberg’s Back to the Future film immortalized the now iconic car that is an enduring symbol of optimistic 1980’s futurism. Today there are about 6,500 DeLorean DMC-12 cars still in the world and you can buy a well-restored DeLorean starting at about $60,000. Each of the 81 pieces in the limited edition watch will have metal from an original DeLorean DMC-12 in the bezel of the watch. The case is in stainless steel measuring 46mm wide. Inside the Romain Jerome DeLorean DNA watch is a Swiss mechanical automatic caliber RJ001-CH movement. Romain Jerome will produce just 81 pieces in the limited edition DeLorean DNA watch collection (as a testament to 1981, the year the car debuted). The watch will be priced at $15,900.

Some time ago we’ve shown you beautiful luxury watch Angular Momentum “The Aquarium” made in black Urushi natural lacquer. And now Angular Momentum brings an exhibition of spectacular time pieces, each flaunting an Urushi lacquered dial. Angular Momentum, in the past years, has created hundreds of medallions and watch dials with unique Urushi designs, based primarily on traditional techniques. Newer techniques have come to the fore often-designs which have never been used before. The latest collection which goes on display from 5th May in Bern is completely in line with the manufacturer’s earlier designs. Take a look on some luxury watches from this collection!

This luxury watch concept named “Ringen” was created by French designer Marc Tran. It was inspired by the perfect roundness of balls and automotive shapes. The watch is composed mostly of white gold, but the blue disc that represents the hours is made of brushed, anodized aluminum and adds a touch of youth to the overall design. A blue ball, representing 2 minutes, is moved along a horizontal progression of black slats. An additional blue ball orbits the face to displace seconds. Pretty creative watch concept! Take a look!